An instructor of a Social Work Research Methods course presents a lecture on the limitations of group research designs. She states that some research designs allow for causal inferences, others shed light on correlations, and some designs are used to describe social phenomena. Which group design has a weakness of not including a comparison or control group?

Question

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The one-group pretest/posttest design does not include a comparison or control group, which limits the ability to draw causal inferences. This design only includes one group and measures the same variable before and after an intervention or treatment, which can shed light on within-group changes but cannot determine if these changes are due to the intervention or other factors. The other three designs listed (B) time series design, (C) pretest/posttest comparison group design, and (D) pretest/posttest control group design all include comparison or control groups, which can help to rule out alternative explanations and increase the validity of causal inferences.

An Instructor of a Social Work Research Methods Course Presents